Family business grows as entrepreneur produces more soaps and finds more outlets.

Anne Du Bois was reluctant to make her soap-making hobby into a business, but she finally succumbed to the idea a year and a half ago.

The all-natural handmade soaps of Her Goat’s Milk Soap Company are now carried in more than 15 outlets in Ottawa and Durham Region, with more outlets adding the product line.

Du Bois, a mother of two, has always been adamant about keeping chemicals out of her home. When she couldn’t find the pure, unadulterated products she wanted for her family, she started making her own soap in the traditional cold-press method.

That was 10 years ago.

She still does production in the basement of her home in Port Perry, but the search is on for larger quarters to accommodate the growing business.

“For years, I just made soap for my family or gave it away as gifts,” says Du Bois, an artist who was working towards her PhD in Italian art history in England when she met her husband, Scott.

With the arrival of son Sam, who is now 15, and daughter Antonia, now 13, Du Bois became a stay-at-home mother.

Though her soaps were a resounding hit with family and friends, she resisted trying to sell them.

“Because I’m a very creative person, I didn’t want to think about the business aspect, and I worried the joy would come out of it if I pursued that,” she said.

When a store in Ottawa expressed interested in carrying her products, she thought of a company name, produced labels and took the plunge.

P’Lovers, a retail store that specializes in environmentally friendly products, just down the street from her home, became her first outlet.

“A year later, there was no stopping it and it has gained incredible momentum since,” she says. “All those things I feared about business I actually love. I’ve come into contact with like-minded business owners and they’ve been very supportive.”

All P’Lovers franchises will be carrying her products soon. These include stores in Stratford, London, Kingston and Nova Scotia,

Du Bois does the soap-making, and created the art for the labels. She’s also developing recipes and doing her own marketing.

Her family pitches in. They test every product she makes and tell her what they think. Husband Scott helps with the finances. Her son does some of the computer work. Both kids help out with production.

Du Bois knows that she will soon have to hire help. She must produce up to 300 bars of soap a week and has plans for an array of new products. She and her husband are looking for a property that can accommodate their family and the expanding production.

“I like the home-based business, ‘though it requires a lot of discipline,” she says. “For me to grow, I need more space.

“I had to keep it as a hobby or take it to the next level, and now I can make it happen.”

She is ready to crack bigger markets. She hesitated to do this before, because she wanted to grow slowly to ensure she could meet the production demands.

While soap-making is a fairly simple process, it requires exact proportions of liquid, fat and lye to achieve the right texture. Then the essential oils and other ingredients are added in careful measure.

After slowly cooling for 24 hours in wooden moulds, the soap is cut and cures for three to four weeks.

Du Bois tries to source local ingredients. Her honey comes from Clarington, some herbs from Richters Herbs in Goodwood and the goat’s milk from an Uxbridge farm.

“I used to use water to make soap, but now I exclusively use goat’s milk,” she explains.

“It was largely a business decision, because there are a lot of body products out there and I needed something to set me apart.

“The proteins in goat’s milk are so healing, so moisturizing, and it makes a creamier bar. It not only sets me apart, it’s a better product.”

The public’s interest in “green” products and her emphasis on using local ingredients has helped build business.

“Port Perry is a tourist town and people seem to like that the product is made locally.”

Now she has about 20 different soaps, including Spectacular Spearmint, an everyday moisturing bar, the Spicy Cappucino exfoliating bar and the “de-stressing” Rose-Geranium bar.

Some have many purposes, such as the Slip & Glide Shave & Body bar, which can be used instead of shaving gel and as a body cleanser.

The Never Felt So Good Bar, covered in carded sheep or alpaca wool, is a soap and washcloth all in one.

The Extraordinary Emu bar is good for problem skin and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis and is the only soap Du Bois makes that uses an animal, rather than plant-based, fat.

It contains emu oil, which is said to be good for those who suffer from arthritis. The other soaps use olive oil, almond oil, shea and cocoa butters.

All of her soaps sell for $6.

“Some other specialty soaps sell for $12 or $15 a bar, so I don’t think $6 is unreasonable,” Du Bois says. “And when you buy a mass produced soap, it’s filled with a lot of chemicals.

“I use pure essential oils which are not inexpensive. I’m trying to market these, not as a special treat, but as something you should be treating yourself to every day.”

Du Bois has created the Pampered Pooch’s Porridge Passion bar for dogs and is about to launch a liquid soap for horses.

She’s developed a line of massage oils with a local therapist, including one for equestrians. Her daughter Antonia is an avid rider. Her newest soap is Mojito Lime Mint and Du Bois is preparing to launch an all-natural insect repellant, a deodorant and a line of lip balm.

“My daughter is 13 and starting to use makeup, but a lot of it has so many chemicals. She and I are going to develop our own line of organic makeup,” she says.

Although she has become a full-blown entrepreneur, Du Bois hasn’t lost her zest for making soap.

“It’s not just solving a practical need, it’s very creative

“Like baking bread, I get to enjoy the fruits of my labour,” she notes. “It’s a lot of fun for me.”

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